Australia's hopes of a gold medal at the Sochi Winter Olympics disappeared in the mist and the rain in the mountains of Rosa Khutor as Alex “Chumpy” Pullin failed to progress past the quarterfinals of the snowboard cross.

I feel like I’ve done everything I could possibly have done. We knew this was going to be more like a fight than a perfect race.

Considered Australia's best chance of winning gold here in Russia, the 26-year-old struggled in the appalling conditions in an event eventually won by Frenchman Pierre Vaultier.

Australia's Cameron Bolton after his semi-final. Photo: Reuters

Pullin's teammate Jarryd Hughes also bombed out in the quarters, while Cam Bolton made it as far as the semis before also crashing.

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The result means Australia is facing the distinct possibility of not winning a gold medal at the Winter Olympics for the first time since Nagano in 1998.

“I’m bummed that it didn’t go my way and I couldn’t give people a better show,” a philosophical Pullin said afterwards. “At the same time I think everyone saw how hard I fought, and the other Aussies. Look at Cam up there. He’s taping his wrist, with blood in his nose. What a champion.”

The competition had been delayed after heavy fog the day before shrouded the mountain at Extreme Park, causing the competition to be abandoned.

It started this time with rain drizzling over the course, making it extremely difficult for riders to see through misted goggles in a sport that is viciously unpredictable at the best of times.

“It’s been a two-day long battle of conditions and waiting and anxious nerves and all sorts of stuff,” Pullin said. “They’ve been trying to maintain this course in the worst conditions you could possibly see. The fact is this is always a possibility. I came here expecting it. It threw the door wide open. I feel like I’ve done everything I could possibly have done. We knew this was going to be more like a fight than a perfect race.”

Pullin was thrown off balance while attempting to cut in on the inside of another rider in his quarter final, lost speed and never recovered.

“I was more than happy with where I was, but I had to pick up the pace,” he explained. “The inside pass coming into turn three had been working for me really well. That’s the line I’ve been running the whole time. As I went into that run, the snow just cracked, finally gave way, and I lost a lot of speed. I dropped back to last. This is a course where you have to keep momentum. This was a straight up war today with the conditions the way they were.”

Pullin - the two-time world champion who has been the face of the Australian team in Sochi - was supported in the stands by his parents and model girlfriend Ellidy Vlug.

He had gone into the competition amid a simmering controversy about how much funding he had received in the last four years since Vancouver, where he was taken out in the first head to head heat.

“If Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin fails to deliver in the men's snowboard cross at Sochi Olympics tomorrow either by chance, bad luck or his ability (he is a bit rusty according to some commentators), there will be dozens of Aussies in the know ‘dancing on the graves’, so to speak,” wrote Bruce Brockhoff.

Those timing of the comments have enraged AOC officials. Team sources report that Belle is embarrassed about the email, and didn’t know her father was going to send it.

Pullin, though, refused to say it was a distraction.

“I’m not worried about anything at all,” Pullin said. “I’m here in Russia. That’s what I’ve been focused on. I’ve been focused on waking up in the morning and getting a good vibe going in my own self. It’s all positive.”

He also defended his preparation, in which he barely raced in the lead-up, preferring to train and prepare on Sydney’s northern beaches.

40 comments so far

$1,000,000 well spent. 40 seconds of mediocrity. Perhaps are refund is due.

Commenter

henry

Date and time

February 18, 2014, 7:46PM

What a complete waste of tax payers money that was!

Commenter

Andy

Date and time

February 18, 2014, 9:44PM

Wasting money on Olympic sports seems to be an Australian forte....we've been doing it for decades in summer and now winter sports.I'm amazed so much is fetted on prima donnas or also rans or even down-to-earth nice sports-people who don't deserve it, and who, if they are lucky and succeed and are one of the chosen few who by some media-spotlight and alignment of the planets earn millions in sponsorship dollars, never have to repay a cent!

Commenter

Frank

Date and time

February 18, 2014, 10:06PM

Allegedly $1m. Alleged by a disgruntled parent, and yet to be confirmed by any credible, independent person.

Chumpy had his chance, but sadly blew it, along with many others - no shame in that.

At least he seems like a decent guy, whereas one of our well-known female snowboarders comes across like a totally self-absorbed royal PITA.

Personally, if an Olympic athlete is good enough to attract sponsorship deals with a global consumer electronics firm, then I don't think the tax payer should be chipping in anything more than airfares and uniforms.

Commenter

Bill

Location

Sydney

Date and time

February 18, 2014, 10:07PM

Was all the money spent on Ian Thorpe worth it now he is a struggling mortal?Maybe, if he'd been left to be a "normal" athlete rather than a "superstar" on whose back many ran careers in the media and social pages.....maybe he'd be a well-adjusted Mr average by now.

Commenter

Bill

Date and time

February 18, 2014, 10:11PM

Our Winter Olympics performance is dropping due to greater competition in the "circus style" events such as aerials. We are not a serious team until we can compete in real events such as downhill racing or XC (though our sliders seem to be improving).

Commenter

Helihound

Date and time

February 18, 2014, 10:14PM

It could have been worse. If he had won, we'd be seeing his face on ads for the next 12 months.

Commenter

gobsmack

Date and time

February 18, 2014, 10:46PM

Chumpy has received over a $1,000,000 from the tax payer. Perhaps Hockey's Age of Entitlement doesn't apply to snow bunnies and ex politicians in London.

Commenter

Sheree

Date and time

February 18, 2014, 11:06PM

And if he had won there would be a lot of back slapping, band wagon jumpers who are overnight experts in something they know nothing about. Congratulations to the Australian Winter Olympic athletes who inspire our youth. As for the critics of our kids, if masturbating was an Olympic sport you wouldn't need funding.

Commenter

Neil (not on radio) Mitchell

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

February 19, 2014, 12:02AM

@ Helihound.. so in order to be a serious Winter Olympic team we need to excel in other events? The parallel being the Jamaicans and Kenyans should excel at swimming in order for their athletics to be taken seriously.